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Last Active 11-11-22 8:12 pm Joined 01-22-10
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| Architects Ranked: Definitive Edition | 1 | | Architects Hollow Crown
Released in 2009, this was more than just a record; it was a declaration that the English quintet had arrived. This album is massive. It is an auditory behemoth brimming with unapologetic negative emotion and energy. The galloping percussive force, coupled with the driving guitar riffs, assert themselves from the first few seconds of 'Early Grave,’ and continue throughout with breathable moments that provide the perfect amount of reprieve from the chaos. Vocalist Sam Carter truly distinguishes the albums sound with his tormented, punk rock style harsh vocals and the juxtaposed beauty of his soaring clean vocals. While the lyrics on paper may seem juvenile, it’s the execution of these seemingly simplistic words that makes them so relatable and authentic. (It's worth noting that Sam had only just reached the age where he could legally drink in the United States, after all). | 2 | | Architects Hollow Crown
Brothers Tom and Dan Searle collaborated as if they shared a brain (or, you know, were identical twins), allowing them to keep the sound simple and accessible at its surface level while retaining their distinctive brand of technicality tucked subtly underneath. This is a metalcore band with a hardcore attitude who found the perfect balance of each. This is the sound that so many bands who came later on wanted to emulate. This is Architects. | 3 | | Architects All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us
‘AOGHAU’ marked a crucial moment in the band's career. An opportunity to assert themselves as main eventers in a metalcore scene filled with mid-card talents. Dystopian and hopeless, the albums lyrics touch upon societal collapse, and the now sole lyric writer, Tom Searle, grappling with his own mortality. With the exception of the album's opener, 'Nihilist,' instrumentally, the band opted for a slight deceleration, placing a greater emphasis on groove rather than speed. Hints of industrial musical stylings are littered throughout the album as well as the most consistent vocal work heard on an album since ‘Hollow Crown.’ There isn't another human being on the planet who could have given voice to these lyrics like Sam Carter did here, and the task couldn’t have been an easy one. The poignant plea "Just let me live and die in peace" is the last we hear from him as the eight-minute epic closer, 'Memento Mori,' concludes, gradually fading away with an Alan Watts speech. | 4 | | Architects All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us
This line serves not only as a fitting ending to the album but to the broader narrative and the real life events surrounding it. On August 20, 2016 Tom Searle passed away from skin cancer. | 5 | | Architects Lost Forever // Lost Together
Looking to build upon the bands rejuvenated enthusiasm for playing heavy music, March of 2014 saw the release of ‘Lost Forever // Lost Together.’ Tom took over the workload for the majority of the lyrics and incorporated their themes into the albums sound. This shift contributed to a more cohesive musical experience with a focus on a spacey, dreary atmosphere. We observed experimentation with pitch screaming on 'Daybreaker,' and this time around, Sam fully embraced it, establishing it as his signature style for future albums. This technique, frequently used in their choruses, not only allowed the band to maintain a heavy sound but at the same time, a melodic dimension to their music. This pivotal chapter in their discography solidified that the band had regained their confidence and had a clear vision for their future direction. | 6 | | Architects Holy Hell
In the aftermath of tragedy, the band continued on with ‘Holy Hell,’ an album that served as both a cathartic release and a testament to the bands resilience. It was predominantly written by Josh Middleton and Dan Searle. Despite incorporating some leftover guitar elements from the late guitarist Tom Searle, this marked their first album without his direct involvement. The themes on the album primarily revolve around grief and the complexities of life and death. Amidst the somber tones, there are fleeting glimpses of triumph, notably on the tracks ‘Death Is Not Defeat’ and ‘Doomsday,’ a testament to a band who persist and carry on, despite the heavy weight of loss. Sams vocals are as emotionally charged as ever, navigating the line between haunting melody and guttural intensity. Instrumentally the album follows a similar formula to the previous release with crushing riffs and driving percussion as well as dark atmospheric components lingering in the background. | 7 | | Architects Holy Hell
‘Holy Hell’ stands as a testament to Architects' remarkable ability to channel their grief and transform it into a powerful listening experience, as well as the perfect tribute to a band member, a brother, and a friend. | 8 | | Architects Nightmares
On May 15, 2006 Architects released their debut album ‘Nightmares.’ This was their only full length release featuring original vocalist Matt Johnson and original bassist Tim Lucas. With a sound reminiscent of their idols, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Architects began to cultivate a small but dedicated fanbase as they toured through underground clubs in the UK. Matt possessed a more traditional metal style of vocals with semi-spoken parts sprinkled in tracks like ‘In The Desert’ and ‘They’ll Be Hanging Us Tonight.’ This album also marked a rare occurrence: Yes! An Architects guitar solo! Concluding the track “You Don’t Walk Away From Dismemberment.” Chugging riffs and frenetic drumming are frequently complemented by hair-raising melodic sections, accompanied by lyrical content centred on violence and bloodshed as opposed to the more personal themes found in the subsequent albums that followed. | 9 | | Architects Nightmares
Despite often being overlooked by both the band and many of its fans, this is a truly remarkable album that showcased exceptional talent from the band members at such a young age. | 10 | | Architects Daybreaker
After receiving a mixed response from critics and a negative reaction from fans, Architects sought to rectify the missteps of 'The Here and Now' just a year later. Vocalist Sam Carter returned to a vocal style reminiscent of 'Hollow Crown,' albeit with a stronger emphasis on clean vocals. Guitarists Tom Searle and Tim Hillier-Brook showcase remarkable technical skill throughout the album, seamlessly weaving between blistering, palm-muted chugs and soaring, emotive leads while creating an atmosphere unique to any other Architects album. Lyrically we see a political bite that was absent up until this point as Tom joined Sam on lyric duties. "Daybreaker" really laid the groundwork for what internet fans affectionately term the "holy trinity" of albums that would follow. | 11 | | Architects Ruin
Their sophomore release marked the introduction of their new vocalist, Sam Carter, and notably, the incorporation of clean vocals for the first time (excluding the semi-spoken vocals on 'Nightmares'). Though used sparingly, these melodic vocal passages introduce a new dynamic to songs that might have otherwise blended in, as heard in tracks like 'You'll Find Safety’ and ‘North Lane.’ Rhythmically, this album excels with outstanding drum work by Tom Searle, skillfully complemented by the addition of new bass player Alex Dean. The guitar work frequently adopts a frantic quality, eliciting a sensation reminiscent of a swarm of angry bees. Lyrically, however, this represents Architects at their absolute worst, most notably evident in 'I Can't See The Light' (go ahead, look them up if you're unfamiliar; I dare you). | 12 | | Architects Ruin
Although adhering to a similar formula throughout, the raw and unrefined sound of 'Ruin' reveals a band with significant potential, hinting at a newfound greatness that would be fully realized only one album later. | 13 | | Architects For Those That Wish to Exist
I remember the first time I heard the albums lead single ‘Animals’ and how hard I tried to convince myself that I enjoyed it. Regrettably, I didn’t. Its simplistic formula and arena friendly chorus felt like a deliberate attempt to secure heavy rotation on hard rock radio stations. FTTWTE features some really great songs, no doubt (see ‘Dead Butterflies’ and ‘Black Lungs’), but within its nearly hour-long runtime, it also generates a significant amount of filler. The album is the most experimental offering we've witnessed from Architects to this point, and to their credit, they manage to maintain a consistent atmosphere throughout, even with four different guest vocal spots. Instrumentally, the album places a heavy emphasis on its electronic and orchestral elements, but at the expense of the robust drumming and guitar work that had previously been a mainstay of the Architects sound. | 14 | | Architects For Those That Wish to Exist
Drummer Dan Searle takes over lyrical duties for the first time, expanding upon the existential and environmental themes prevalent in the band's preceding three albums. Overall ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ was a commendable attempt to shift away from their usual metalcore formula and venture into uncharted territory. | 15 | | Architects The Here and Now
Two years after the monumental metalcore masterpiece that was 'Hollow Crown,' 'The Here and Now' arrived. Leading up to the albums release, the band hinted at their intention to explore a more melodic direction, and oh boy, did they ever. Gone were the ferocious vocal stylings that fans had become accustomed to, being replaced with a more generic and subdued performance. This was derisively labeled as the “Architectsonfire” era by many online commenters. Tracks like ‘An Open Letter to Myself’ and ‘Heartburn’, while showcasing a different side of Architects, were heavily criticized for diluting the band's distinctive edge. Although fans are beginning to view the album in a more positive light as time goes on, it was still a major disappointment at its time of release. *On a side note, the demo versions of the songs sounded fantastic, 'An Open Letter To Myself’ in particular, and some of them can still be found on YouTube. Oh, what could have been.* | 16 | | Architects The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit
Most recently in October of 2022, Architects released their weakest album to date. The problem doesn't lie in the album's lack of heaviness; instead, the majority of the tracks are simply forgettable. From the get go, it becomes apparent that the band have fully embraced an industrial/alternative metal sound, opting to prioritize accessibility over substance. The drum work has been simplified, often adhering to a bass-snare-bass-snare pattern, a deliberate choice seemingly tailored for a fist pumping live experience. The guitar work is repetitive and unremarkable, evidently making space for the electronic elements to take precedence albeit slightly redeemed by a commendable vocal performance. ‘The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit’ lacks any real identity other than a collections of songs that might sound “pretty good, I guess” if they were to play on the jukebox at your local pub. | |
Spec
11.14.23 | This list was specifically designed to infuriate fans of the band from every era. | Dwap
11.14.23 | I am the only person on planet earth who legitimately loves The Here and Now. AMA. | Spec
11.14.23 | Have you heard those demos?? They put the studio version to shame. | bellovddd
11.14.23 | all our gods and hollow crown are good. everything else gets progressively worse. | Emim
11.14.23 | Was only gonna read this if it was a spec list | Emim
11.14.23 | Top two are top two imo, don't care much for the rest | Spec
11.14.23 | @bellovddd Well technically we’re in agreement :]
The only album of there that I wholly dislike is Classic Symptoms.
@Emim You know I had to do ‘em. I always wanted to spend an embarrassing amount of time creating an Architects list. | Ectier
11.14.23 | Nice ranking spec, Id put Lf//Lt over All our gods personally but pretty darn accurate. Here and now is a bit how ;-; | Ectier
11.14.23 | I actually really like the Abbey road version of For those who wish... it made me like the album a lot more | Spec
11.14.23 | I've listened to some of the Abbey Road version, and it sounded pretty good, but live albums aren't usually my jam. | Ectier
11.14.23 | The best track off it is the live version of Flight without Feathers. Understandable though with Live albums they have to have very good production or they will sound off/poor | Mort.
11.14.23 | 1 is correct for sure
hollow crown just blows everything else of theirs out the water | onionbubs
11.14.23 | all our gods is one of the most overrated albums by any of these bands. one of the most monochromatic and homogenous albums ive ever heard
daybreaker
hollow crown
lf//lt
ruin
nightmares
here and now
(big gap)
all our gods
holy hell
never jamming the newest one but fttwte is maybe the worst bmth core pivot record ive heard lmao this band sucks so much now | Ectier
11.14.23 | Also these guys have a really bad time ordering the songs on their albums tbh 🤨 | Sinternet
11.14.23 | Disgraceful Ruin and Nightmares placements | onionbubs
11.14.23 | yea their flow is usually not the best, which is part of why i think daybreaker is best. by far their best sequenced album
i like the pacing of lf//lt now but pairing all the songs that sound like each other on each side made it impossible to get into at first bc it felt too homogenous. i fuck with it now but i still have that problem in to a greater degree with lf//lts successive two copycats | Sinternet
11.14.23 | Saying all our gods is homogenous and then putting daybreaker first is a take | onionbubs
11.14.23 | daybreaker is way more diverse what lmao. all our gods sounds like these colours dont run on repeat at varying speeds with like two cool songs near the end
nothing on aog like bitter end, behind the throne or unbeliever, and all of the d flat minor songs which is half the tracklist are gone. two tunings on the whole record and theyre only a whole step away from each other so its sonically way too similar vs the drop a flat minor/d flat minor balance on daybreaker, plus daybreaker trades off its key with every song where aog barely budges | Ectier
11.14.23 | All our gods... with deathwish->phantom fear->downfall was not a good pick for flow | Mort.
11.14.23 | yeah i think daybreakers is super homogenous
i like their style on that lp but it felt like they just rushed the songwriting and so many tracks sound the same
(i find the same a lil bit with hollow crown but to a lesser extent)
bands problem has always been songwriting. they have the technical ability and i like their style. they just write so many fucking duds | Ectier
11.14.23 | They have always had the talent and to be honest they where a cut above their fellow comrades of the scene alongside them. Mort said it pretty well. If i had to describe this bands it would be an identity crisis or chasing trends to try and make things work.
Hollow crown was the best mix of their mathy origins with the standard metalcore affair, The here and now (good album for the most part) was a chase the trend, daybreaker was "fucking never doing that again, we hated it" , Lf//Lt seemed to be the moment they went "Fuck it this is what we want to do". All our gods built on Lf//Lt and then tragedy happens | SteakByrnes
11.14.23 | Daybreaker number 1 baby | Feather
11.14.23 | Great list. 2, 3 and 4 are the only ones I really listen to and they are in the correct order there. bottom 3 are certainly the bottom 3. I need to spend more time with Hollow Crown. | Spec
11.14.23 | Thanks man I appreciate it. Some of the lesser known songs like ‘Every Last Breath’ and ‘Dead March’ are what really tied it all together for me. | Ectier
11.15.23 | Dead march slaps | Spec
11.15.23 | And yet, it has never been performed live in the bands history. | Ectier
11.15.23 | Of course it hasnt and i think its safe to say it wont ever be played. Do they even play early grave or follow the water anymore | Feather
11.15.23 | ^ They essentially stick to LF/LT and onward nowadays | Spec
11.15.23 | I don’t think they even touch LF//LT anymore. | SteakByrnes
11.15.23 | they stick to the past 3 albums from what I recall | Ectier
11.15.23 | I did hear they played These Colours in Aus this year | Feather
11.16.23 | I havn't seen them since their AOGHAU tour and it was basically just LF//L and AOGHAO, so I assumed it would just be those ones on. Sad if both those albums have dropped from their sets though, their last 3 have been pretty meh. | Feather
11.16.23 | Just checked their most recent 10 tours they have only touched the latest 3 albums + Nihilist off of AOGHAU. They aren't playing LT//LF or anything before. kinda surprised they aren't even touching that one. | Ectier
11.16.23 | Also every live clip ive seen of them recently Sams Vocals are fucked and he massacres Nihilist and the audience does half the work in one clip | Spec
11.16.23 | Yeah I wonder if it’s because he needs a break from touring or he just can’t do that vocal style anymore. | twlight
11.16.23 | 1 is 1.
Metalcore bands are ripping off the Dead March riff to this day | Pikazilla
11.16.23 | 1 is 1. Daybreaker fucking sucks. Have a good day. | SteakByrnes
11.16.23 | pika directs that at me | calmrose
11.16.23 | daybreaker whips
comfortable #2 for me these days | Faraudo
11.16.23 | I only consider 2 of their albums to be complete dogshit, the rest go from solid to great | Spec
11.17.23 | The two most recent ones? | Ectier
11.19.23 | Spec would be interested in a track ranking of them. It would be a monumental task though | Spec
11.21.23 | Lol with or without descriptions? | Ectier
11.21.23 | Idk maybe only top 10 with descriptions. Either way it would take ages |
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